I don't doubt it

The doubts of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, are something I've pondered from time to time. It wasn't that he didn't believe or even stopped believing, but that he questioned something more that he was being told to believe. Jesus had risen from the dead and was appearing to his followers. Thomas missed church one night and therefore missed his first opportunity to get to see Jesus in this mysterious resurrected body. Thomas boldly stated, "Unless I put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

You see, Thomas was a faithful follower of Jesus. I've only just come to realize how very strong his belief in Jesus was. In John chapter 11, when Jesus is going to see Lazarus, who had "fallen asleep", his disciples urged him not to because the Jews there had tried to stone him, and they were sure it was very dangerous. But Jesus was determined to go raise his friend from the dead, and Thomas boldly said to the others "Let's go with him, so we can die with him." If Jesus was gonna go, Thomas was gonna go. If Jesus was gonna die, Thomas was gonna die. Now that's what it means to follow Jesus. So why don't we call him "Courageous Thomas"?

A short time later, (they made that trip and lived by the way) John 14 tells us that Jesus was explaining to his disciples how he was going to His Father's house to prepare a place for all of us, and that he would come back and take us with him. Jesus said, "You know the way to the place where I'm going." And Thomas pipes up, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way???" Our guest pastor this last week said this is one of those places where it helps to know the original Greek, because this was not a passive statement. It was an impassioned plea with a good deal of urgency. Thomas was saying, "I want to know! I want to go!!!" And to this Jesus responded with his well known, "I am the Way..." answer. So why don't we call him "Passionate Thomas"?

Thomas demonstrated his faith, his beliefs, and his passion for the Christ, and yet he got stuck with the title of "Doubting Thomas". I don't think he doubted Jesus, nor his faith in Him. I think he just didn't understand the resurrection, something all of the disciples missed even when Jesus tried to spell it out for them before his death. What I think he doubted was that Jesus was walking around town being seen by everyone: post mortem. And then Jesus appearred to him and said, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out and put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and believe." To put it simply, I think Jesus was saying, "It's really Me!!"

And while most think Thomas touched his hands and his side, whenever I picture this event in my mind, I don't think he had to go that far. I think he might not even have had to look down at the hands. I imagine that if Jesus had said those words to me, knowing the claims I'd made, while still looking into His face, I would have proclaimed what Thomas did...

"My Lord and my God!!!"

There it is again; that simple, passionate faith of Thomas making a bold and beautiful statement of truth. Experiencing the wonder of the presence of the resurrected Christ.

Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you believe; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus was proclaiming blessings on all of us for generations to come who would put our faith in him without getting the opportunity to witness first hand the nail scars and the place where the spear pierced His side. How awesome to live in the light of that blessing.

You see, Thomas wanted first-hand faith. He wanted to see it; to touch it. Jesus said we're even more blessed to have first-hand faith without seeing. First-hand faith is the meat. Second-hand faith is the milk. Milk is digested by someone else for you. Are you just getting milk in your spiritual life? Is someone else digesting the Word for you? Like this blog or just going to church and listening... Or are you working out your faith first-hand? Are you going to the source, the Bible, for yourself? Are you getting to the meat?